Bequeathing the Cloud: A Practical Plan for Digital Afterlife

The article argues that handing down digital assets after death is complex and imperfect, but survivorship can be eased by inventorying assets, naming a fiduciary in a will, and giving explicit instructions on what to do without exposing passwords. In the US, the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA) lets fiduciaries access certain contents while preserving privacy, and most states have it, though access often requires the decedent’s explicit permission. Built‑in tools from Google, Apple, and Meta are limited and can trigger issues with terms of service. DIY handoffs can fail due to technical or privacy hurdles, so best practice is to list assets and desired actions in a will, keep credentials separate, avoid relying on legacy account features, back up data, and update plans regularly.